


you were never meant to be (alone from the beginning)

by nsykdk



Series: subahokke week 2020 [4]
Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Fluff, M/M, Soulmate AU, Strangers to Friends, SubaHokkeWeek2020, beginning of trickstar!, first year baby subahokke, reminisce fic, yes i mean that it's more about them becoming friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:35:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24638440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nsykdk/pseuds/nsykdk
Summary: It's just a morning before school, sunlight filtering weakly in through the windows. A boy of sunshine sits at his desk, and a boy of starlight stands before him."You're..." He doesn't finish that sentence. But Subaru knows, without him saying anything.You're my soulmate.[ subahokke week 2020 day 4 || soulmate au ]
Relationships: Akehoshi Subaru/Hidaka Hokuto
Series: subahokke week 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1781359
Comments: 6
Kudos: 25





	you were never meant to be (alone from the beginning)

**Author's Note:**

> for subahokke week day 4, prompt soulmate au! the full list of prompts can be found [here on twitter](https://twitter.com/subahokkeweek) and it's run by my good friend mao! [they're on ao3 here!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/winter_mao_flower)
> 
> this was a really fun and interesting concept! i really love rocket start and it's my favourite enstars story... and basically i went from there and created a soulmate au. i wanted to show subahokke's relationship developing, from the venus cup (and discovering they were soulmates!) to the beginning of the friendship they have in the current timeline!
> 
> i love soulmate aus where one doesn't fall in love with the other right away? or rather that the soulmate system is not the entire reason to fall in love, but rather something that helps and furthers their relationship along...? yeah anyway :)

Subaru's world bursts, figuratively, into colour the moment he reaches out for Hokuto's hand on that stage.

He knows Hokuto knows too, because the wide smile that had wormed its way to his lips had been mirrored on Hokuto's; a weak and still wobbly smile, but one nonetheless. And when their fingers had touched and Hokuto had grasped on, it had just _clicked_ , just like that.

_"That's why, I thought it was natural that I'd always be alone."_

And those words imprinted on his wrist as he'd reached for Subaru's hand,

_You were never meant to be..._

had told Subaru everything in that moment.

* * *

It's just a morning before school, sunlight filtering weakly in through the windows. A boy of sunshine sits at his desk, and a boy of starlight stands before him.

"You're..." He doesn't finish that sentence. But Subaru knows, without him saying anything.

_You're my soulmate._

Quietly, Subaru lifts up his sleeve to reveal the words inked on his wrist. Hokuto must have seen it yesterday, but still, he gently lifts Subaru's arm so the words shine in the sun from the window, inspecting them carefully.

"Did you know?" Subaru lets the words hang quietly from his lips as Hokuto continues to stare, frozen.

"I knew your words," Hokuto says, finally, after a pregnant pause. "But I didn't know they were mine until... until yesterday."

The way he says it, _mine_ , sends something of an electric shock through Subaru. In all honesty, he doesn't know what he's supposed to do now that he's discovered his soulmate; he's almost never spoken to Hokuto at all apart from that fateful night under the cherry blossoms.

But nothing feels _different_ at all between them. In fact, he feels further away from Hokuto than he's ever felt. And now that he thinks about it, he knows barely anything about Hokuto other than his name, his (admittedly famous) family and the words written on the inside of his wrist.

So Subaru vocalises that. "Do you think things will change?"

Hokuto pauses, expression softening, and it's exactly that moment that a rowdy group of classmates decide to make their entrance known. Subaru glances over, and when he returns his gaze to Hokuto, the other boy seems to have reverted back to his usual coldness.

Instead, Hokuto lowers his voice, probably so everyone else won't hear. "...Do you want to practice together this afternoon?"

"Sure!"

* * *

In movies, there's always some sort of rose-tinted lens through which soulmates are perceived, like love at first sight or something of a _moment_ where the love of one's life is met. Time slowing down to take in the first meeting of your fated-for-life, destined-to-be, one-and-only.

But he doesn't have that with Hokuto. Not that Subaru believes in immediately falling for one's soulmate the moment their identity is revealed, but he simply isn't _in love_. Soulmates can be perfectly platonic, Subaru knows; he's heard of soulmates who are best friends, or even rivals.

...But he isn't anywhere close to being Hokuto's friend, either. To put it frankly, he doesn't even know _what_ he is to Hokuto, apart from being classmates who'd bumped into each other a few more times than coincidence should dictate. And that it'd clicked, months after their first meeting, with nothing really to each other than a smile and a greeting in corridors only on occasion.

"Sorry I'm late," Hokuto apologises as he rushes over, setting his schoolbag down on the ground. "The class president meeting ran a bit overtime."

"It's all right," Subaru says, "I've just been doing some stretches on my own."

Hokuto nods. "That's good. Stretches are necessary for good exercise. Shall we get started?"

Subaru thinks he should probably be surprised at how _well_ their practice goes, at least for a first time. He syncs with Hokuto so well that they have to pause, panting as the music fades out, before simultaneously having the idea to smile at each other.

At the end of the day, he asks, "Do you want to practice again sometime?"

And Hokuto replies, "Tomorrow?"

* * *

"You're coming home later than usual, hm?" Subaru's mother springs the question over dinner; freshly made curry rice that warms to the belly. "Did something happen at school?"

"I've been practicing a little," Subaru admits, an unbidden smile worming its way to his lips as he thinks of the little practice sessions out on the grounds with Hokuto. "With a classmate of mine!"

She smiles, a little weakly. "I'm glad you're making friends. You should invite him over sometime, all right?"

_Friend_.

There's that word again. Are they friends? Are classmates who barely talk to each other friends? Are classmates who might also be soulmates but only practice together friends?

"I'll think about it?"

* * *

"Do you want to have lunch together?"

"Huh?" Hokuto blinks up at him, fully surprised. "Okay."

Subaru pulls up his chair so that he's opposite Hokuto, beginning to tear into the wrapper for his bread. Hokuto has a neatly made bento, which he picks at almost elegantly with his chopsticks. "Did your mom make that?"

"My grandma did."

"You live with your grandma?" When Hokuto nods, Subaru takes it as his sign to continue. "I live with my mom! And I have a dog! His name is Daikichi, and he likes shiny things just like me!"

He continues talking, speaking about whatever comes to mind. It's easy with Hokuto, somehow; perhaps he knows that Hokuto isn't one of his other classmates who would simply laugh behind his back while he's turned away. Sometimes, Hokuto replies; a hum or a nod or a short question, and Subaru simply talks and talks.

When Subaru falls silent, Hokuto looks up at him. "Why did you sit with me?"

He shrugs, smiles. "I want to be your friend."

At that, Hokuto stills, intense gaze locking onto Subaru's, mouth opening as if to want to say something. But nothing seems to come out, even though his mouth moves. Finally, he lowers his head, just the barest pink brushed on his ears. "I see."

"Do you not want to be friends, Hidaka-kun?"

_"That's why, I thought it was natural that I'd always be alone."_

Hokuto purses his lips. He sounds more than uncertain when he does speak, voice quiet. "I don't know."

* * *

Subaru's staring out at the rain, homework on the desk forgotten when Hokuto's voice cuts into his thoughts. "Did you bring an umbrella?"

"No," he replies, to which Hokuto sighs and shakes his head. "I usually don't."

They're studying together, one of Subaru's better-welcomed ideas to get on better terms with each other, but it really is mostly Hokuto studying and Subaru not understanding much and staring into space. He can't deny, though, that Hokuto has good grades and his own are even starting to improve a little because of him.

But he's thinking about something that isn't really study. Ever since the Student Council had been reformed, it'd bugged at him somehow, and hung around like a little parasite of clouded thoughts. 

_"I shall walk you home,"_ Hokuto says suddenly, assuming a somewhat regal aura about him. _"T'would not befit the young lady if she were to be drenched in this foul weather."_

It dawns only a while later on Subaru that it's a line from the play he'd been rehearsing from a week earlier, after he's already burst into giggles at the shock of it all.

"All right, then, prince."

* * *

"The rain is suuuper strong, huh?" Subaru hands Hokuto a towel, an identical one slung over his own shoulders. "You should stay for dinner, Hidaka-kun, since it's getting dark."

"I shouldn't trouble your family," Hokuto says, through the towel. "My grandma will be-"

Subaru smiles. "You're completely wet, Hidaka-kun. I'll get you some clothes so your uniform can dry off, okay?"

A while later, Hokuto sits rather contentedly, though still rather stiffly, at the kotatsu, a cup of warm tea in his hands, now changed into a spare sweater and pants. It's a little strange, seeing him with his hair not in his little braid and now falling over his eyes, which, Subaru realises, are a rather pretty blue.

"My mom won't be home for a while, so if you're hungry, I can make something to eat? I'm great at making fried rice, you know?" Subaru sits down opposite Hokuto, an unknown burst of happiness setting his lips in a smile. Having someone over at his house feels rather nice, even; a special closeness. Subaru wonders, a little wistfully, if this means they're friends. "It's been a long time since we've had any guests, though, so there's not much we can offer..."

It's now that Daikichi decides to make his entrance, tumbling in from the doorway right into Subaru's arms. Immediately, Subaru's smile widens even further, scooping up the dog into his lap to introduce him to Hokuto.

"Daikichi, this is my fr-" He stops, _friend_ on the tip of his tongue. Hokuto watches him curiously as he words the next sentence carefully, deciding to go with it anyway. "My friend, Hidaka-kun!"

Whatever surprise Hokuto has melts away as Daikichi enthusiastically leaps over the kotatsu to him, nuzzling and licking, and, all of a sudden, Subaru's entire world slows to a stop as Hokuto smiles, wide and unabashed.

He's never seen Hokuto smile like that before. The warm, happy feeling Subaru has begins to bubble and pop, like a fizzy soda drink in his chest. It's nice.

"Hidaka-kun," he says, suddenly aware of his heart pounding loudly in his ears. He has to say it _now_. "Do you want to form a unit with me?"

Hokuto's smile freezes in place, his usual serious expression returning. "Why?"

"Because-" Subaru grabs Hokuto's hand, just _knowing_ , "because you- no, _we_ were never meant to be-"

_"-Alone from the beginning,"_ Hokuto finishes; quietly, knowingly. A smile spreads across his face, determined and beautiful. "Okay. I'll form a unit with you."

* * *

_"What did you think it meant?"_

_"What did I think...?"_

_"Your soul script. I thought it meant I wasn't supposed to become an idol."_

_"Well, I always thought it meant I'd be alone. But y'know? I think if we put them together, it makes something really nice, see!"_

_"...Mm. I'm glad I met you, Akehoshi."_

_"...Hokke?"_

_"Hm?"_

_"I love you."_

**Author's Note:**

> subahokke week is halfway over... but you can still scream at me on twitter [@subahokke](https://twitter.com/subahokke)


End file.
